We all know that Alaska isn't alone in having it's own way of pronouncing names of places but Alaska is unique in it's culture and history. With that comes great pride in being Alaskan and pride in how things are done here. Even though we've lived here a relatively short time, we find ourselves cringing-on the inside, of course ;) -when a newbie or a visitor botches the name of something well known to us! Now, this post is a little in jest, because we know that some of these places are really hard to pronounce at first glance! Heck, we had to be corrected on one or two of them when we first arrived as a "Cheechako", or a newcomer to Alaska ;) I am a full believer that the best way to travel is to absorb the culture and enter the way of life of the locals, especially when traveling to places that are largely different than where we live. So if you're planning to spend some time in the great state of Alaska, we recommend starting your trip with learning how to speak like a local. So let's get started with some of the most misprounced places in Alaska. Kenai/KatmaiWe thought it best to start out with these to places in Southeast Alaska. The Kenai (KEE-nigh) Peninsula is actually a borough in Alaska and is home to some of the most scenic areas in the state. You'll drive down the Kenai Peninsula to get to some incredible places that bring a lot of tourists. Katmai (kat-my) National Park being one of those tourist attractions, is an island at the end of the peninsula famous for volcanos and bear viewing. KasilofKasilof (kuh-SEE-loff) is a town about an hour outside of Homer, which is the "end of the road" on the Kenai Peninsula. Kasilof is derived from Reka Kasilova - the name Russian settlers gave the river. SoldotnaAbout 15 minutes from Kasilof, further up the peninsula, you'll get to Soldotna (sole-DOT-nuh). The origin of the name is debated but most residents believe it comes from the native Dena'ina word ts'eldat'nu meaning "trickling down creek". Cooper Landing45 miles up the Sterling Highway, you'll find Cooper Landing. I'll own up and say that I've mispronounced this one! This one seems like an easy one, but you can spot a Cheechako as soon as they call it "Cooper's Landing". There are a few places where newcomers struggle with this, including Hatcher Pass and Cook Inlet. Don't add the s, unless you want to look like a tourist! SewardInstead of continuing up the peninsula, we're hitting the Seward Highway and heading south. Seward (SOO-urd) is an incredible city that we've visited a few times. It's a great jumping off place for glacier and wildlife cruises into the Kenai Fjords (please don't pronounce the j in Fjords! ;) Seward was actually named after William H. Seward who was the U.S. Secretary of State who negotiated the purchase of Alaska from Russia in 1867. Chugach Mountain RangeAs you drive back up to Anchorage, you'll pass the beautiful Chugach (Chew-gatch) Mountain Range. The Chugach National Forest is almost double the size of New Hampshire, coming in at over 17,300 square miles. We highly recommend a visit to Girdwood and taking a ride up the Alyeska (a-lee-es-kuh) Aerial Tramway to take in the view. ValdezSpeaking of the Chugach, on the other side of the range, you'll find another popular destination for tourists and locals alike, Valdez (val-deez). This is another spot that we've thoroughly enjoyed, and defend when it's incorrectly pronounce ;) You can read about our visit to this beautiful place here. Knik GlacierOn the Northern end of the Chugach Mountains, you'll find the 25 mile long Knik (kuh-nick) Glacier, one of the largest glaciers in Southeast Alaska. In this one, the K is definitely not silent and we highly recommend a tour by helicopter to this must-see location. Denali National ParkDenali National Park, home to Denali - the tallest peak in North America, is a pronunciation up for debate. Though you may hear it as "de-NA-lee" (rhymes with Sally) from some locals, others will defend that it's pronounced "de-NAH-lee" (rhymes with Molly). Given that the name derives from the native Athabascan word "deenaalee" meaning "the high one" we would argue that Molly of Denali has it right. NenanaNorth of Denali, as you drive to Fairbanks, you'll pass through a little town called Nenana (nee-NAN-uh), home to the Nenana ice classic. We've touched a little bit on that here, This pronunciation caught us up when we first arrived because of the Tanana (TA-nuh-nuh) River. So close yet so different KetchikanThe "Salmon Capital of the World" Ketchikan (keh-chuh-kan) is a popular cruise port for Alaskan cruises. It is the southern most entrance at Alaska's inside passage, where we first stepped foot in our new home state and the first city of which we botched the pronunciation. UnalaskaOn the other side of Southern Alaska, you'll find a small island called Unalaska (oon-alaska). "Ounalashka" is a native word meaning "near the peninsula" and there is nothing un-Alaskan about it ;) KotzebueKotzebue (cot-suh-byoo), "the gateway to the arctic", is a city just above the arctic circle in the northwest part of Alaska. Might not be as visited by tourists but we did need to add it to our list only because it's super fun to say :D TokTok (long o - rhymes with joke) is about 190 miles east of Fairbanks. It is "the sled dog capital of Alaska". We passed through Tok when we took the ALCAN highway to get to Fairbanks. It was probably the biggest town we passed through on our trip once we left the lower 48, which made it a great refueling and bathroom break point, but that's about all our experience with this town. ChickenOkay, Chicken is definitely not a hard one to pronounce, but we thought we'd add it here as a fun fact. Chicken, Alaska is located about 5 hours east of Fairbanks. It was settled by gold miners in the early 1900s and when they couldn't agree on the correct spelling of "ptarmigan" (tar-muh-gn) - a local grouse - they decided to call the town Chicken, which is basically the same as ptarmigan, right? Needless to say, the name stuck. It's a very quirky town, only home to about 10 year round residents, though it does host a music festival dubbed "Chickenstock" every summer.
Now that you know how to say some of the places in Alaska, here's a few more tips on how to not sound like a tourist. The easiest way to spot a Cheechako is if they call it a "snowmobile" instead of a "snow machine". True Alaskans will look at you like you're crazy, haha - it's a pit I've fallen into before. Also, for the love of all that is holy, the "l" in "salmon" is SILENT!! So how did you do? Did some of these pronunciations surprise you? Please let us know if we missed any or if you have questions on some we didn't cover! We're certain with this beginners list, you may just be able to pass off as a true "Sourdough" - Alaska slang for a long time Alaskan, or the opposite of a Cheechako ;) If you're interested in a one-on-one chat to help plan a custom trip to Alaska, check out our options here! Comments or questions? We'd love to hear them! Make sure to pin so you can come back to this post! Don't forget to follow us on Instagram for some of our day-to-day adventures and until next time, get out and explore where you live!
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AuthorWe're just a military family enjoying where we live, one PCS at a time. Follow us as we explore our current home, South Carolina, and beyond. The world is our backyard. Archives
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